The Blog

Orlando

I hope that your deepest prayers of comfort and compassion have been with them this week.

News of the event was only breaking Sunday morning as we went into worship for Youth/Sunday School Sunday. No one knew just yet how horrific it was.

Now we know. The city of Orlando website published a list of the victims a couple days ago and after adding the name of perpetrator, I turned around and posted it onto my Facebook. It reminded me of Sandy Hook in so many ways because of the number, the names, their youth. O Lord, in your mercy… ​ And to be clear, this is no implication that any of the other such murderous, heinous events are less important or impactful. Gay lives matter. Black lives matter. Children’s lives matter. Every life matters.

So, I continue to wonder, “Where is the tipping point?” What does it take to stir the collective compassion? What is the tipping where each of us cries out, “No more!?” It’s the worst massacre in our history.

Are we finally there?

What does it take?

I come from Oklahoma where deer hunting and duck hunting are big sport among others. In fact, they’re so big that some of the seasons open to “youth only” for a couple weeks ahead of the rush, just to encourage young people to take up the sport. Out there, a “coming of age” Christmas gift is your first rifle and a safety course. But you don’t hunt with an AR-15. You don’t hunt with a handgun.

If you read your Bible carefully, Jesus last instructions to Peter are to put down his weapon. All who raise the sword will die by the sword. (Matt 26:52 paraphrasing). To me, the most chilling realization comes from the comments of the first responders at the scene. Expecting a deathly quiet in Pulse, they got nothing of the kind. The silence was shattered over and over again by the sound of cell phones—

Terrified calls of concern from loved ones that would go unanswered.

I believe they’re calling to us, too. The question is, how will we answer?